1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus and method for magnetically treating liquids. More specifically, the present invention may removably and adjustably be attached to a tube having a liquid running through it. The present invention produces a unique magnetic field focused in such a way so as to improve the physical properties of the liquid.
2. Prior Art
It is well known in the art of magnetism that applying a strong magnetic field to a substance changes the direction of the magnetic moments of individual atoms within the substance. This allows scientists to use nuclear magnetic resonance to determine the geometric structures of a variety of organic compounds, including proteins. This technology has also been developed to create magnetic resonance imaging, which has become a vital tool in medical diagnostics.
Over the past several years, magnetism has been applied to liquids to alter their physical nature. Precisely which method of applying a magnetic field to a liquid results in superior physical transformation of the molecules within that liquid has been a hotly debated issue. In some designs, a flexible tubing through which liquid flows is wrapped around a single magnet. Other designs expose a liquid first to a north or south pole and then downstream to an opposite pole. It is also known to use multiple magnets in order to create one or more magnetic fields. For example, the north pole of a magnet may be applied to one side of a conduit while a south pole is applied to the opposite side. This results in a magnetic field that is perpendicular to the rate of fluid flow through the conduit. It is also known to have a plurality of magnets through which fluid flows such that all of the magnets have the same pole facing the conduit. For example, all of the magnets may be aligned such that only their south poles face the fluid conduit. This design may also be reversed such that only the north poles face the fluid conduit. Examples of this design may be found in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 35,689 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,901.
It has been found that by applying such magnetic fields to a liquid has a number of benefits. Fuels, such as gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas all bum more efficiently after exposure to a magnetic field. Potable water, alcoholic beverages and other consumable liquids have a superior flavor. Scale is also reduced in metal and other pipes. It is believed that these properties may be enhanced by modifying the geometry and positioning of the magnets used to influence the physical properties of the liquid.
Because of the benefits of exposing a fluid to a magnetic field, it is desirable to use such magnetic devices in a variety of situations. Because the increase in fuel burning efficiency caused by magnetic fields is temporary, such magnetic devices must be located within the car, truck, boat or plane itself. Properties caused by exposing fuel to a magnetic field at a gas station-or a refinery would dissipate before the fuel was burned. Unfortunately, vehicles today generally have a substantial amount of electronic equipment, including computer chips. Strong magnetic fields have a deleterious affect on such devices. Therefore, it is necessary to place the magnetic devices on a fuel line close enough to the engine such that the effects of the magnetic field do not dissipate prior to incineration of the fuel. It is also necessary that the magnetic device be far enough from any electronic equipment to avoid damage.
It is therefore desirable to provide a device for applying a magnetic field to a fluid that has been geometrically optimized to maximize the beneficial effects of applying a magnetic field to the fluid.
It is also desirable to provide a device for magnetically treating a fluid that provides only a minimal risk to nearby electrical equipment.
In the present invention, three magnetic casings are attached to a fluid conduit resulting in a geometrically optimized configuration of the magnets in order to maximize the physical benefits imbued to the fluid. The three magnets are preferably 120xc2x0 apart from one another. Two of the magnets are oriented such that the same pole faces the conduit. The third magnet has an opposite pole facing the conduit. This results in a uniquely shaped magnetic field that is directed from two magnets into the third. Preferably, the three magnets are attached to one another by means of screws or similar devices connecting flanges that protrude from either side of the magnet casings.
This three magnet configuration is superior to existing methods of applying magnetic fields to fluids. This is because of the method by which the magnetic field affects the fluids.
Fluids such as fuels like gasoline and propane are hydrophobic. Generally, it has been thought that the cohesive properties of such molecules were relatively small. Their hydrophobicity was thought to, by its nature, prevent clustering of like molecules. However, this inner molecular model has been rethought in light of van der Walls forces and temporary dipoles. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that even in hydrophobic molecules, temporary dipoles are created by shifts in electron clouds that surround the molecules. This results in non-polar molecules exhibiting polar behavior. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that fluctuating electrons within one molecule will influence the behavior of electrons in the neighboring molecule. The results of this is nearby molecules having dipoles facing opposite directions. This results in the molecules clustering together.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the better a fuel is mixed with oxygen, the more efficiently it burns. Molecules that are clustered have less total surface area with which to react with nearby oxygen molecules. This means that fuel having clustered molecules will not burn as efficiently as fuel having molecules that are evenly distributed. Not only does the fuel bum less efficiently, but more polluting molecules are subsequently emitted into the environment.
The exposure of a fluid, such as a fuel, to a magnetic field causes clustered molecules to separate. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that both hydrogen and nitrogen molecules have an atomic magnetic moment. Physicists generally refer to this as atomic spin. Nearby atoms generally have their nuclear magnetic moments aligned in opposite directions. Just as north poles of magnets repel one another and opposite poles attract one another, atomic spin causes atoms to be attracted to other atoms having opposite magnetic moments and being repelled by atoms having magnetic moments aligned in the same direction. When a fluid is exposed to a strong magnetic field, the result is what physicists refer to as spin-flip. The relatively strong magnetic field causes the magnetic moment of all of the atoms within a fluid to face the same direction. The result is that neighboring molecules are repelled from one another. Exposure to a strong magnetic field, and resultant spin-flip, causes sufficient repelling force to counteract the interactions between temporary dipoles. The molecules of the fuel become evenly dispersed. This improves efficiency of burning the fuel and reduces the amount of pollution emitted.
The configuration of the present invention is superior to those of prior inventions. Its relatively simple design provides an adequate magnetic field to cause molecules to repel one another due to spin-flip. A device having the same pole of each of the magnets facing the fluid conduit essentially creates three separate magnetic fields within the conduit. While this causes molecules within one of the three fields to repel one another, it does not cause molecules in neighboring fields to repel them. The result is regions within the conduit wherein molecules are aligned in three different directions. A significant disadvantage of these xe2x80x9cmono-polarxe2x80x9d designs are the substantial magnetic field that emanates outwardly from these designs. Just as the inwardly facing poles are the same, the outwardly facing poles are also the same. There are no nearby opposite poles to xe2x80x9cpull inxe2x80x9d the magnetic fields emanating from the device. This has the disadvantage of interfering and/or damaging nearby electrical equipment. Furthermore, it is relatively inefficient in that it wastes approximately half of the magnetic energy created by the magnets.
The present invention provides means for focusing a magnetic field used to treat a fluid such that more of the generated magnetic field is conserved as well as reducing the risks to nearby electronic equipment.
First, smaller, weaker ancillary magnetic strips may be applied to a monopole design in between the magnets being used. These ancillary magnets are smaller and located on the exterior of the device. This prevents them from substantially affecting the mono-polar qualities of the magnetic field to which the fluid is exposed. This also reduces the magnetic field emanating outwardly from the device.
A more substantial method of reducing the size of the electric field emanating from a device designed to apply a magnetic field to a fluid, is to have one of three magnets aligned in the opposite direction of the other two. This, of course, results in having two poles that extend outwardly from the device to do the same, and the third pole extending outwardly to be different. This design has two advantages. First, the magnetic field applied to the fluid is not only broad, but also unidirectional. One strong field, instead of three or more fields, is applied to the liquid. This results in all of the atomic spins aligning in the same direction. This maximizes intercellular repulsion.
The second major advantage of this design is that it captures the portions of the magnetic field generating outwardly from the device. This essentially provides for recirculation of the magnetic energy, which increases the strength of the field applied to the fluid. This will be further described below.
The magnet casings may have flanges that connect to one another by means of a nut and bolt. This allows for ready and convenient attachment of the present invention to a fuel line or other fluid conduit.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for effectively applying a magnetic field to a fluid.